From: Saumur, Loire Valley, France
Varietal: Chenin Blanc
Taste: This expressive Chenin Blanc exhibits a pale yellow color with greenish highlights. The wine's nose is powerful and aromatic, featuring hints of lime and fruit that intermingle with a distinctive minerality. On the palate, the wine is rich yet fresh, with a velvety texture that lingers on the tongue. The flavors are complex and well-balanced, with notes of citrus, green apple, and white peach that are complemented by a slight hint of dry honey. The wine finishes with a long aftertaste that is both refreshing and elegant, riding a wave of minerality and inviting you to pour another glass immediately.
Pairing: This superb white wines rich and revitalizing flavors make it an excellent pairing for seafood, particularly shellfish like scallops or lobster, as well as grilled/baked/fried fish and sushi (check out these Salmon Croquettes below!). The wine's acidity and refreshing finish also make it an excellent choice to accompany salads, grilled vegetables, and light pasta dishes. For cheese lovers, this Chenin Blanc pairs well with creamy and tangy goat cheese, alone, on a cheese and charcouterie board, or baked in pastry.
Salmon Croquettes
By Millie Peartree
About. The Vignerons de Saumur Blanc "Les Epinats" is a Chenin Blanc produced by a cooperative of winegrowers who have been working together for over 60 years. This particular wine is named after the lieu-dit where the vineyards are located, on a gently sloping north-facing plateau with nearby forests acting as a windbreak.
The terroir of Les Epinats is unique, with two main soil types: terre à silex, a shallow, pebbly soil that is flinty in texture, and a less pebbly soil with more clay due to the deterioration of Jurassic limestone. This combination of soils promotes the healthy ripening of grapes, resulting in a wine that is both aromatic and fresh.
After the grapes are harvested, they are crushed and destemmed before undergoing a low-temperature fermentation for two weeks. The wine is then aged in stainless steel tanks on fine lees for three to four months before being bottled in cellars dug out of tufa. This natural and ideal environment allows the wine to continue aging in the bottle, developing a structure and long aftertaste.
The Vignerons de Saumur Blanc "Les Epinats" is pale yellow in color with greenish highlights. Its powerful bouquet features hints of lime and fruit, and it is full-bodied and suave on the palate. The wine is rich, aromatic, and fresh, with a structure that holds up well in the bottle and a long aftertaste that lingers on the tongue.
While there are no official press reviews of this particular wine, the Vignerons de Saumur cooperative has been producing high-quality wines for over 60 years, and their commitment to sharing their experience, expertise, and dreams has helped them overcome economic challenges and build a thriving business. The Les Epinats Chenin Blanc is just one example of the cooperative's dedication to producing exceptional wines that showcase the unique terroir of the Saumur region.
